ART SAVVY
Art Col lecting 101 with
Angela Li
Introductions by Zoe Peña Written by Angela Li Photographer: Joyce Yung
Why collect art? Ask any one person and they will most probably have differing answers. When it comes to something as subjective and yes, temperamental, as art, investing and collecting can be approached via a number of angles. But this is not to say that it is not extremely enjoyable once one gets bitten by the collecting bug. Perhaps this is one of the simplest reasons to explain as to why people collect art. On a practical level, there are other things to consider. The world we live in plays the numbers game often and as any market operates, it’s always better to have a guide of some sort. Cue Angela Li, gallerist and owner of Contemporary by Angela Li. Having been in the business for a decade, she has been celebrating and collecting contemporary art through her exhibitions and the art consultation branch of the gallery. Read on to find out her insights on starting an art collection and her breakdown on how to enter the complicated and intimidating world of art collecting. First thing’s first. Consider one’s intention. Do you want to collect because you a) like a piece, b) because all your friends are doing it and it has suddenly become a trendy thing to do, or c) because you keep reading about people getting some amazing returns on selling their paintings and you want some of that too? As an art lover, I always encourage people to buy art only if they fall in love with it. Buying art as an investment can be much 22